AAAmerican Accent US

take up

Separable

The object can go before or after the particle — but a pronoun MUST go in the middle: “clean it up”, never “clean up it”.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: take UP. Saying “TAKE up” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

Link across the gap. The final /k/ of “take” moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “take up” is said “ta-kup”. Pausing between the words is what makes phrasal verbs sound recited rather than spoken.

2 meanings

  1. 1

    To start a new hobby or activity.

    • “I'm planning to take up yoga next month.”
    • “He took up running in his forties.”

    Similar: start, begin

  2. 2

    To occupy space or time.

    • “That sofa takes up half the room.”
    • “The meeting took up most of the morning.”

    Similar: occupy, fill

The particle logic

up

Something is finished, raised, improved, or brought together.

Listen + practice

Hear “take up” spoken naturally

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More TAKE phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

take off

(Of an aircraft) to leave the ground.

take over

To assume control of something.

take in

To provide shelter for a person or animal.

take after

To resemble an older relative in looks or character.

take on

To accept a new responsibility or task.

take out

To remove something from inside a place or container.

take back

To retract something you said.

take down

To write information as you hear it.

take apart

To separate something into its parts.

take away

To remove something entirely.

take to

To begin to like someone or something.

take up — meaning, examples & how to say it